Litchfield Restaurant Week (2025) returns at Materia Ristorante. Recommendations: Duck terrine studded with pistachios and topped with tiny cubes of port wine; Poached Bronzino in "crazy water"; Tiramisu. Service: Extremely attentive service Atmosphere: Relaxing and elegant read more

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Every bite was a WOW. Beautiful decor and attentive staff made it a perfect meal. Hope to reurn again soon.

This is about a 4.5-star affair... There is no question about the fancy factor as you are presented with a sizable property with a pond, staggered lighting and an illuminated fountain. This gray stone restaurant a former house (my dad knew kids that lived there back in the day) is pretty inside and out. They separated everything except entrees into separate plates and silverware and plating was changed each time. Not green but it goes with the next level fancy dining. I will go off memory, and it has been a couple of weeks plus so it will not be on point. If I get a chance, I will research a bit and plug in some holes here. SHRIMP appetizer: -- light flavor with nice texture -- dark green aioli sauce plated for dipping into -- bean sprouts on top -- portion small but I was advised in advance by papa RATING = A- OCTOPUS: -- yellow creamy aioli plated which was likely mustard, mayo and more? -- herb and tomato chopped and on top -- small portion -- very tender to the point you would think you were eating baby octopus almost RATING = A RAGU PAPARADELLE: -- all about delicious perfect pasta and meat and flavor and not about sauce -- small plus portion -- perfection, best dish of the night RATING = A+ SEA BREAM FISH: -- stunning -- crispy slightly oily skin on top -- cooked medium-rare as it should be -- very tasty RATING = A VEAL CHOP: -- large size -- moderate breading very tasty -- super tender and delicious -- 2nd best dish of the night -- not a flavor bomb but nicely done RATING = A PANNA COTTA: -- vanilla, figs, thin almond cookie -- nice medium-firm texture perfection -- super rendition of this classic -- 2 dollops of fresh whipped cream on plate -- my favorite style and texture of this dessert -- pronounced vanilla on palate -- quite creamy RATING = A We each had a glass of white wine. A pinot grigio and a sauvignon blanc as I recall. The blanc was better IMHO. Service is next level as is the dining space and visual splendor. I would not want dad to spend this much money again for me as a retiree, but I most definitely enjoyed what was presented tonight. read more

Food was very good. We enjoyed all the dishes plus the delicious bread. The wine list is extensive and service is great. Prices are on the higher side but it was worth it. read more

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My cocktail was something different and very enjoyable the ladies had margaritas they said were good. The meals were outstanding, with my duck the best I've had all year. Deserts were innovative and again on par with the very best. Ambiance is sophisticated and relaxing. Worth the drive from Farmington. read more

If you feel like spending hundreds of dollars, only to stop at McDonalds on the way home, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU!!!! SHIT service, $45 cork fee to open our wine, AND THEY FUCKED IT UP. Broke the cork. But if you like prices fit for a billionaire, and portions that are barely fit for a toddler YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR MATCH. Pretentious, douchy establishment that thinks 7-8 noodles in a "ragú" is worth $30. Basically, if you have WAY more money than brains, this is your dream restaurant. Cheers to you idiots! read more

Strongly not recommended. I clearly informed the maître of my inability to consume salt, explicitly requesting that the grill be cleaned and that my steak be cooked without salt. My instructions were ignored with visible annoyance by the maitre. The meat was lcearly cooked on a salted grill, and I became very ill after returning home. This is dangerous and unprofessional. read more

Beautiful restaurant, stellar service. The handmade pasta & the crudo was absolutely amazing.

Although the restaurant is lovely, this is the second time we were disappointed. We were seated at the bar booth at 5:15 and our drinks didn't arrive until 6. My husband order a very dry martini and was given a dirty martini, which we had to send back. Our dinner orders were't taken until 6:15 and our entrees didn't arrive until 7:20, which was a problem because they had told us our table was booked for another party for 7:30. Apart from waiting forever to be served, the food was spotty. The pasta with oxtail and the duck were delicious. However, my pasta special was lukewarm, bland and the pasta was undercooked. The promised melted cheese and artichokes were nonexistent. The rice in the risotto was also undercooked to the point of being raw, which our water told us was al dente. Rice should not be crunchy. We never ordered dessert because they were desperate for our table. I will say though, the waitstaff were lovely and did their best. read more

Based on what we had heard about Materia, we planned a special family dinner which turned into an unmitigated disaster on all levels. Our three hour meal commenced with drinks after waiting 35 minutes, appetizers one hour later, followed by undercooked and disappointing food. We appreciated being comped for our drinks and an apology for kitchen problems, but left with a $600 bill and a very disappointing experience regarding food quality and service. read more

What a gift to have this extraordinary restaurant in rural Litchfield County. It could easily compete with the best in Manhattan. On our last visit I overheard a table of Italians (Romans) extolling the extraordinary and authentic quality of the cuisine. Pastas always perfectly al dente, seasoning spot on, and chef always uses local ingredients when possible. read more

I loved everything we had! Fresh house made pastas all delicious sauces well balanced. We tried branzino, octopus beef tartar all great. Wine list is awesome all Italian by region. A little High $ for my taste BUT midweek tasting menu perfect for us! The food is worth every penny though. Great job also we had great service from everyone! Cool ambiance a little Dark but comfortable read more

Incredibly disappointed! Everything was just off. They were out of the one thing on their menu that I specifically went to the restaurant for. There was really nothing else on the menu I was even mildly interested in (shame on the chef for limited menu construction!) but was with friends so stayed anyway and ordered something I didn't want or particularly enjoy. The server Chris couldn't have cared less that I wasn't happy. He just wanted to move on to the next table, even though they weren't especially busy. It was all average at best. I will not return. read more

I came to close out Litchfield's 2023 Restaurant Week, and it was a delicious decision. If you are dining alone, as I found myself, you can make reservations online for one being seated at the bar. These reservations seem to be limited to Friday through Sunday. The outside has a pond and babbling river behind the parking lot, and the interior is very elegantly decorated in grays. My primary server was Chris at the bar, and he was incredibly friendly and welcoming. He made sure as a bar sitter, I didn't feel rushed or in the way. The menu required a little bit of googling, but eventually I found the most delicious meal. The burratina with roasted carrots and adorably cut cubes of beet was creamy and refreshing. The pasta, spaghetti cacio e pepe, was so cheesy without being too much. Just when you thought there were no hits of cheese, bam, there is was! Finally, the meal concluded with a tiramisu. If you like coffee, you'll love this tiramisu. The puffs of ricotta were amazing for those of us who don't like the coffee as much. read more

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I'm going to just highlight the positive 5-star details. Lemon pomegranate and rose petal Mocktail was wonderful and at a great price point. We went during "Taste of Litchfield" week, so the food was from the prix fixe menu. Salad dressing on the romaine was spot on. Beet salad was Earthy, organic, and beautiful. Pasta was peppery spiced and cooked perfectly, Duck was crispy, and the accompaniments paired well. Tiramisu was excellent. The floral arrangements were eye-catching. read more

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Enjoyed a great dinner with family. Service was professional & friendly. Love the atmosphere. Lighting was modern & seating was well spaced for conversation. read more

Best Restaurant within 75 miles. Pasta dishes are off the chart! Fabulous service as well

Unfortunately, after returning to Materia, our experience did not meet expectations. I'm all for paying more if the food, service and quality are there. Tonight was not the case - it felt disorganized, underwhelming and a far reach from fine dining. Not sure if we will be returning, some positives but too many misses to rush back anytime soon. read more

This is without a doubt our favorite Italian Restaurant!! The food is very nouvelle cuisine, none of that spaghetti falling off the place. It's serious food with a lot of flavor. My daughter's favorite is the pasta alla Vongole (clams). She won't even order it anywhere else! read more

We had always heard great things about Materia, so my fiancé and I decided to visit tonight to celebrate one year until we're married! The dining room was very chic, and the staff was all very professional and attentive. We had an amazing caprese salad to start with some of the best bufala mozzarella we've ever had, and then chose two dishes from the primi section. Truthfully we did intend these both to be our main meals, but decided to split the beef tenderloin special afterwards as we didn't quite realize how small the portions were. Now that we know, we'll make sure to order differently next time with less sharing and not being afraid to order multiple dishes as different courses. The flavors of the food really blew us away, and everything was very high-quality, including the desserts. I was grateful that we made a reservation because the dining room capacity is on the smaller side, and there was an influx of people between 7-8pm. We were so impressed by the food that we hope to come back after we're married to celebrate our anniversaries or other special occasions. It's easy to see why they won the award for best new restaurant last year from the Connecticut Restaurant Association! read more

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We did the tasting menu paired with wine and it was outstanding! Among my favorites was the tuna, octopus, risotto and duck. Everything was cooked to perfection and the sauces and tiny heirloom tomatoes were such a great pop of flavor. The wines they chose to pair were perfection. I wish I took more pictures. I really enjoyed the risotto, and I don't even like risotto usually. The flavor of the basil was great and texture was perfect. read more

Materia Ristorante - Octopus - Italian Near Me - Bantam, Connecticut

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Beautiful restaurant inside and out! Great service and meal. The cacio e pepe was the best I have ever had read more

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An update is called for. Since my last review, we have been to Materia three additional times. The food has been consistently excellent each time - so that is not the reason for this update. This wonderful jewel of a restaurant has seemingly left behind the pretense and tension that accompanied our initial visit. What a relief to note that a staff can be uniformly knowledgeable about menu offerings without adopting airs. On the most recent visit, our cheerful waitress was secure enough to pass on our request for a slight deviation to the Traditions Menu. This was definitely a move in the right direction. Kudos to the management for training staff well enough to be informed about the unique aspects of their sophisticated menu without being affected, inflexible or intimidating. So now there is even more to love about this fine dining establishment. Don't wait- GO. read more

My husband and I went here for our wedding anniversary! The staff is amazing and will walk you through your experience, this was our first time at this kind of restaurant and definitely will be going back! The Crazy award was definitely well deserved. Food was amazing read more

Materia Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Bantam, Connecticut

Simply the best restaurant in Litchfield County!!!!! The food and service were excellent! The fact that the tables are nicely spaced and the fabrics mute noise, the ambiance is wonderful!!! read more

If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. Materia offers fresh and seasonal Italian cuisine, with carefully selected ingredients and seasonal menus. Materia offers an array selection of wine from Italy. The chef has cooked all around the world, including Italy, which is where he found his passion and brought it back to Connecticut. He makes his presence known to his costumers, comes out to the tables and greets himself. He makes everything fresh to order. We've eaten there a few times in the short amount of time it's been open. Please be sure to add if you have any allergies before ordering the Pasta Tasting, note that the pasta tasting are all the same read more

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Beautiful dinner at Materia. Staff was wonderful, both knowledgeable and attentive. Dinner was perfectly timed, we enjoyed the pre fixe menu since it was our first time. I can't wait to go back! read more

Absolutely gorgeous space, superb cuisine, wonderful service. Wine list is competitively priced. Great vibe and energy. The chef was very considerate to me as a vegetarian for our pasta tasting course - I loved the truffle egg pasta, so satisfying. My husband loves the octopus. read more

Food and service are impeccable. This is our go-to special occasion restaurant now. Can't wait until next time!

Very overrated and over priced. Went there with my family for New Years Eve. Server was arrogant and rude. Limited menu and one in our family has a gluten and dairy allergy. She was left with very little to choose from. On top of it we were called multiple times leading up to our reservation only to be told they would charge us to cancel but had a waiting list of many...several tables went unused and we walked out at 9:45pm with the chef who told us he had a party to go to. Service makes the difference when a customer is expected to pay up. read more

Drove an hour out to a very highly recommended restaurant and it did not disappoint at all. The 7 course tasting menu and wine pairings were so perfectly done that each course was more amazing than the last. This is probably the best restaurant in CT, the creativity and talent of the chef is displayed incredibly well with the selection of dishes and the delicious wines. The wait staff is highly knowledgeable and make for a great experience. Will definitely be back again soon read more

Elegant dining and Italian Romantic setting with amazing discoveries. Not a place to rush and place to discover Italian food again done with a Modern take. The owners are exceptional in their knowledge of the food on your plate. read more

Materia Ristorante - Italian Near Me - Bantam, Connecticut

We came here with our friend who has been here several times before so some of the waitstaff and the owner are familiar with him so we were looking forward to giving this place a try . All three courses certainly did not disappoint, however - there was a mixup with what my husband had ordered for his entree and while it was immediately corrected, we at the table felt our primary server had a different tone with us for the rest of the evening, perhaps did not come and check on us as often as he could to see if we wanted anything else . We were seated in the bar and there was only one other group there . Even our friend picked up on a sense of being ignored. Granted - we were a later reservation and I also got the vibe that people were cleaning up as well , but I would have liked one more drink before I left and my glass was just taken away and I was sitting there with water as my husband and his friend sat their finishing their drinks . All in all - the food , desserts , drinks and presentation were wonderful and I would still say my time spent there was grand! read more

Materia Ristorante - Panna Cotta - Italian Near Me - Bantam, Connecticut

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Phenomenal pasta in a beautiful room with great service. Materia is a welcome fine dining addition to the Litchfield County restaurant scene. All the pastas are Michelin star quality but for us the consistent standouts are the Tagliatelle al Ragu, Linguine Alle Vongole, and the Spaghetti Alla Chitarra. The service is polished and ever present. Nice Italian wine list at various price points. Beautiful, elegant room with nicely spaced out tables. Chef DiStasi's cooking is on par with the best pasta spots in NYC and Rome. Materia and Al Tavolo have cemented Bantam as a fine dining destination town. read more

Probably the best food I've had in my entire life!!!! Me and my boyfriend got some cocktails, the pasta tasting, and some desserts! All to perfection!!!! Excellent service!!! If I could give 6 stars I would! read more

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Went last night with a group of 8 and it was terrific. Room was beautiful, tables well-spaced and noise level serene. My app was the velutatta - a delicious vegetarian leek soup with peas. Apps around the table included octopus (I didn't try it but it got raves from others), mixed salad (also raves for freshness and lightness and flavor of the dressing). Entrees included a dry-aged duck breast, salmon and some pastas. All were delicious. I shared the Bistecca Fiorentine for two and it was one of the best steaks I have had in a long long time and easily could have fed three. Desserts included the chocolate mousse and tiramisu which were at the same level as the rest of the meal. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. We live over an hour away but we'll worth the journey and we will be back. read more

Absolutely fabulous dinner tonight! We had the grilled octopus (always a favorite), the Sformatino di Broccoli, Caprino, Salmoriglio e Bergamotto and the red bell pepper carpaccio appetizers, and the risotto, duck ravioli & spinach pappardelle with duck ragu primi, and for desert the millefiore with pistachio pastry cream and panna cotta with cherries which was amazing, read more

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If you want ambiance and customer service this is your place. The food however was left me disappointed and I will not be going back. My husband ordered a fried veal chop which was cooked to perfection but one bite and all I could taste were the bread crumbs. There was no spice in the bread crumbs at all, nor on the meat. Very unflavorful. $60 He had a side of arugula salad which was just arugula with no dressing no additional veggies in it. There was no salt and pepper to flavor anything. I ordered salmon it was delicious, very small petite portion with 1/2 a green squash baked with a squirt of pureed squash on top. No salad, no pasta, no rice $38. The desserts were all pureed, pudding type of items. I passed but my husband ordered a pistachio puff pastry. The pastry was dry and over cooked the pureed pistachio was unflavorful and there was nothing sweet added. My husband did order an octopus side and glass of wine which was the highlight of the meal. It came with bread and olive oil dip with no spice in the olive oil. I am Italian but I have never walked away from a meal hungry and disappointed after spending $260 for 2 people. The service cleared our table promptly and replaced the silverware 4x whether we used it or not. I'm all for conservation so felt this was wasteful. read more

Three stars because the the service was spot on. The banquets were beautiful. It was lovely. Ambiance lovely . Food was a shocking disappointment. The ink risotto was crunchy. The homemade spaghetti had a tiny bit of lobster and the portion was ridiculously small. The sea bass was a thin slice of fish which was bland. It was so thin it was almost see through. We all agreed the octopus had a marvelous flavor and was a good portion for an appetizer. Please improve so we can come back. Perhaps it was an off day. PS they did not rush us at all. You will love the bus boy , server and maitre 'd read more

A brand new addition to the Litchfield County dining scene, still in it's genesis as an established fine dining go to place but with lots of potential. An assortment of cocktails, including variations of classics as well as new selections and a clean and concise menu, with on the spot flavors and a pleasant and aesthetic presentation; In addition, we had a perfectly executed espresso and what it seems to be a home made Millefoglie with Pistachio purée, if that's so, Bravo I say ! read more

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